Ski boot toe fixture



' Jam 14, 969 roKuYAsu HAsHloKA 3,421,772

' SKI BOO'IJL1 TOE FIXTURE Filed Nqv.' 21, 1967 i mw @Mfg l UnitedStates Patent O Filed Nov. 21, 1967, Ser. No. 684,758 Claims priority,applc/ation Japan, June 3, 1967,

46,725 U.s. cl. 28o- 11.35 11 Claims Im. Cl. Asse 9/08 ABSTRACT F THEDISCLOSURE A safety binding ski boot toe fixture is provided having atoe-fitting member. The toe fixture will not only be turned sideways butalso advanced along the ski (away from the heel fixture) to positivelydisengage the toe of a ski boot when a dangerously large side force isapplied to the toe. Once the toe-fitting member disengages the toe, itwill be almost automatically, i.e., with little force,.returned to itsoriginal centered position by the increased pressure of a spring. Thesame spring tends to retain the toe-fitting member in its normalcentered position. The pressure of the spring can be properly adjustedin accordance with the weight and skill of the skier.

Description The invention described herein relates to safety binding skiequipment and more particularly to a toe fixture for removably fasteningthe toe of a ski boot to a ski. Such a toe fixture is attached to eachski together with a cooperating heel fixture.

Conventional toe fixtures have toe-fitting members vwhich are rotatablypivoted to a base, the base being attached to the ski. Such toe-fittingmembers are only turned sideways to disengage the toe of the ski bootwhen a dangerous and unreasonable side force is applied to the toe, forexample, as a result of severe falls. In such con ventional toefixtures, however, the toe of a ski boot will not positively be freedfrom the ski. This is because such toe-fitting members will merely beturned sideways. The opening between the sideways turned toe-fittingmembers and the heel fixture may not be large enough to disengage theboot, which remains firmly attached to the ski. An injury to the skier,such as a bone fracture, may still occur.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a ski boot toefixture which will positively disengage the toe of a ski boot before theskier may be injured.

It is another objective of the present invention to provide a ski boottoe fixture wherein a toe-fitting member will be, with little force,returned to its normal centered position after disengaging the toe.

It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a ski boottoe fixture wherein the retaining force on the toe of the ski boot canbe properly adjusted depending on the weight and skill of the skier.

It is still a further objective of the present invention to provide aski boot toe fixture wherein the retaining force on the toe of the skiboot can be properly adjusted depending on the weight and skill of theskier.

It is still a further objective of the present invention to provide aski boot toe fixture wherein a toe-engaging member may be engaged withthe toe of the ski boot irrespective of the sizes of the ski boot.

In accordance with the present invevntion, a ski boot toe fixturecomprises, in combination, a base, a turning disc and 4a toe-fittingmember. The turning disc is interposed between the base and thetoe-fitting member. The base has a slot in its fore part (toward thefront of the ski and away from the heel fixture) and a hole substan-3,421,772 Patented Jan. 14, 1969 ICC' tially in its center. An archedslot partly surrounds the hole. The turning disc has 4a central hole andan eccentric stud which is pivoted in the central hole of the base. Thetoe-fitting member is rotatably attached with a pin penetrating throughthe arched slot of the base and a central hole of the turning disc. Thetoe-fitting member rotates about a pin or bolt which is through the slotin the base. The turning disc has a circumferential concavity in itsrear (opposite the eccentric stud) and circumferential projectionsextending around increasingly and symmetrically high right and left fromthe concavity. These projections extend substantially half around thedisc. Alternatively, the turning disc has two arched slots, instead ofthe circumferential projections, and a ball-fitting hole, instead of theconcavity, interposed between the arched slots. A spring is fittedwithin the rear central portion of the toefitting member. A ball isinterposed under compression, in the normal state, -between the springand the concavity in the disc. The spring is pressed and retained with ascrew bolt.

When an unreasonable force, in excess of the pressure of the springpressing the ball down into the concavity, is applied sideways tothetoe, the toe-fitting member will be not only turned sideways but alsoadvanced along the ski, i.e., away from the heel fixture. This isbecause the turning radius of the toe-fitting member is relativelylarger than that of the turning disc. The ball, during such sidewaysmotion, will be rolled up from the concavity onto the sloping faces ofthe circumferential projections and against the pressure of the spring,until at last the boot is freed from the ski. Once the toe-fittingmember disengages the boot, it will be, with little force, returned toits original central position with the help of the increased pressure ofthe spring. The pressure of the spring is adjustable, with the screwbolt, the adjustment depending on the weight and skill of the skier.

With reference to the alternative turning disc, the ball is interposedunder compression, in the normal state, between the spring and theball-fitting hole. When the disc is turned, the ball will be rolled upover either of the partitions between the ball-fitting hole and thearched slots, and then onto one of the arched slots. In the case of thisturning disc, however, a hand operation of returning the disc to thenormal, i.e., original, state will be required.

The toe-fitting member has two toe-engaging pieces respectively fittedwithin its rear shelf regions. The toeengaging pieces are adjustable intheir height with screw bolts so that they may be adjusted to justengage with the toe of the ski boot.

In order to make it easier to understand the other objectives andfeatures of the present invention, a detailed explanaation shall be madein the following with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. l is a vertical sectioned side view of the first embodimentaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded View of the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 1 prior to its assembly;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the same, showing mutual relations between abase, a turning disc and a toe-fitting member when the toe-fittingmember is turned in both directions;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the second embodiment according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectioned side view of the second embodimentillustrated in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a turning disc of the embodiment inFIGS. 4 and 5 as seen from the back.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 10 denotes a fiat`base plate which is adapted to be attached to the ski with fixing holes14. Screws (not shown) fit through the holes 14 and screw into the ski.The ibase 10 has a slot 11 made in the fore part thereof (toward thefront of the ski and away from the heel fixture) and a hole 12 and anarched slot 13.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a disc plate rotatably pivoted with a studpivot 22 which is fitted into the hole 12. The disc plate 20 has aconcavity 21, semi-circular in shape, and a central hole 23. The discplate 20 has circumferential projections 24 (shoulders) extending aroundincreasingly high right and left from the concavity 21.

Reference numeral 30 denotes a frame of the toe-fitting member. Theframe 30 is rotatably pivoted around a bolt 51 penetrating through itshole 31 and passing through the slot 11 of the base 10. The slot 11permits movement of the frame away from the heel fixture in the event ofa release of the toe fixture. The frame 30 has a hole 32. The frame 30is rotatably fixed with a pin 52 penetrating through its hole 32, thearched slot 13 of the base plate and the central hole 23 of the disc 20.

In the normal centered state, i.e., when the toe of the boot is engaged,the slot 11, the stud pivot 22, the central hole 24 and the concavity 21are all in alignment. An annular metal fitting 53 is fixed to the endportion of the pin 52. The frame 30 has a hole 33 into which a screwbolt 40 is screwed. Bolt 40 presses down and retains a ball 42 in theconcavity 21, in the normal state, through a spring 41 fixed to thelower end of the screw bolt 40. The pressure of the spring is adjustableby means of the screw bolt 40. The frame 30 has in its rear shelfregions 35 toe-engaging pieces 36 which are fixed with screws 54. Thetoeengaging pieces 36 are adjustable in their height, with the screws54, so that they may just engage with the toe of the ski boot. Elasticmembers 60 are respectively interposed under compression between thetoe-engaging pieces 36 and the vertical inside walls of the rear shelfregions 35. These elastic members 60 are adapted to prevent looseness ofthe screws 54 caused by oscillation in the course of skiing, andtherefore displacement of the toe-engaging pieces 36. These elasticmembers are preferably of rubber. The frame 30 has a raised bottom 37and a cover 38. The raised bottom 37 is designed so as to avoid thecontact between the frame 30 and the disc plate 20.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 3, the toe-fitting member 30 will beturned in either direction as indicated by the arrows when anunreasonable dangerous side force is applied, and at the same time willbe advanced toward the front of the ski, as shown in dashed line. Whenthe toe-fitting member is turned, the ball 42 will be rolled up from theconcavity 21 onto the sloping faces of the circumferential projections24 against the pressure of the spring 41. Once the toe-fitting memberdisengages the toe, the increased pressure of the spring 41 will tend tobring the disc plate and the frame 30 back to its original position.

The second embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 is similar in most of its part tothe embodiment of FIG. 1 and the similar parts are labeled with the samecorresponding reference numerals.

In this embodiment, the base 10 has a guiding pin 16 rotatably andslidably fitted within a slender region (a slot) 39 of the frame 30. Aball-fitting hole 25 is provided, instead of the concavity 21 of thefirst embodiment. The disc plate 20 has two arched slots 26. Except forthese differences, this embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 is the same as theabove-described embodiment of FIGS. 1-4.

In operation, in the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5, under excessive sidepressure the frame 30 will be turned and advanced (away from the heelfixture) to disengage the toe of the ski boot. The ball 42 will berolled against the pressure of the spring 41 over the partitions formedbetween the ball-fitting hole and the arched slots 26 and then intoeither of the arched slots.

After the frame disengages the toe, the operation of returning the frameby hand to its normal position will be required. This embodiment is moresimplified in structure than the preceding embodiment.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, the pivot stud 22 may be on the baseplate 10 and that stud may pivot in an eccentric hole in the disc plate20. As another example, a pin may replace the slot 11 in base plate 10,the pin being attached to the base and being positioned in a slot in theframe 30.

I claim:

1. A ski boot toe fixture comprising, in combination,

a base adapted to be attached to a ski, having a slide means in its forepart, which fore part is adapted to be positioned toward the front ofsaid ski, a first pivot means positioned substantially in the center ofthe said base and an arched slot partly around said first pivot means,

a turning member having a hole substantially in its center and means toeccentrically pivot said turning member on said first pivot means ofsaid base,

a toe-fitting member rotatably and slidably fixed to said slide means ofsaid base, a pin through said arched slot of said base and said centralhole of the tu-rning member and rotatably connected with saidtoe-fitting member, and pressing means fitted within the rear part ofsaid toe-fitting member and adapted to normally press on said base.

2. A ski boot toe fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the turningmember is a turning disc having a circumferential concavity.

3. A ski boot toe fixture as claimed in claim 2, wherein the turningmember has circumferential projections extending at least partly aroundright and left from the concavity and becoming increasingly high.

4. A ski boot toe fixture as claimed in claim 3, wherein the pressingmeans are a spring, a ball interposed under compression, in the normalstate, between the spring and said concavity and, in the disengagingstate, between the sloping faces of said circumferential projections andthe spring, and means to retain the spring and to adjust the pressure ofsaid spring.

5. A ski boot fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slide means isa slot in the base and the toe-fitting member carries a pin which fitsin the said slot.

6. A ski boot fixture as claimed in claim 2, wherein the means toeccentrically pivot the disc on the base is an eccentric stud on theturning member which pivotly fits in a hole in the base.

7. A ski boot toe fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the toe-fittingmember has a rear shelf region and toeengaging members fitted withinsaid rear shelf region and means to adjust the height of saidtoe-engaging members so that they may just engage with the toe of theski boot.

8. A ski boot toe fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the toe-fittingmember has a cover and a raised bottom adapted to avoid the contactbetween the toe-fitting member and the turning member.

9. A ski fboot toe fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the turningmember has arched slots and a ball-fitting hole interposed between saidarched slots.

10. A ski boot toe fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein thetoe-fitting member has a slot in its fore part and the base has aguiding pin rotatably and slidably fitted within the slot.

11. A ski boot toe fixture as claimed in claim 7, wherein thetoe-fitting member has elastic members respectively fitted to thevertical inside walls of said rear shelf regions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,197,221 7/1965 Gembruch et al.280-ll.35 3,201,140 8/1965 Marker 280-1135 3,224,786 12/1965 Tosalli280-1l.35 3,348,856 10/1967 Marker 2SC-11.35

LEO FRIAGLIA, Primary Examiner.

L. D. MORRIS, JR., Assistant Examiner.

